The Taurus and The Spartan
by 13672
Summary: Adam needed a way into Beacon, so he followed Blake in her treachery in the hopes of getting to punish her later on. His return to the Fang will be glorious. His return to Beacon? Will be chaotic. But he didn't expect to gain feelings for a certain red-headed Spartan. How does this affect Cinders plans? How does it change Adam for the rest of his life?


**The Taurus and The Spartan**

Chapter 1

Adam stared at Blake, and occasionally threw his gaze at the open courtyard in front of them. He couldn't tolerate these people. These humans. The sight of them sickened him, their views of neglect and superiority complex over the Faunus had irritated him his entire life, had _fuelled_ him for so long. He had cut so many of their kind down, sometimes with no feeling and sometimes with a slight feeling of joy. They deserved it for their actions.

Yet here he was, at a school with over half the populace being humans, and needing to restrain himself for the good of Blake, if not for her he'd have cut these people down. Slaughtered them all. His grip on Wilt tightened, ready to lash out at all of those around him, his mask not showing the slight glow from his red eyes in the daylight.

"Adam, we're here to start a new life, a crime free and good life. Please don't do...that." Blake begged from his side, she had stayed silent as he had been studying the zones arond them. The huge walkway and fountain in front of them looked to lead to the front gates of Beacon, the front door so to speak. To their right, a dome-like building, from its size and construction it looked more likely to be for assembling, not for combat. To the left of them, a wasteland, covered mostly by a small hill but he saw it as they were both coming in on the ship. And behind them was the landing pad, where the airship that had brought them to B **eacon** had landed.

"Blake I...fine." He said, his tone unwavering to her. His hearing became focused now on the airship coming into land, this was to be the last one for Beacon. The students he had seen here had just been brutish built guys or flimsy girls, he was not cocky in himself but he could predict around 8 out of 10 of everyones fighting style based on looks alone. And when they spoke to him he could get around 90% of people predicted, his training had paid off very well for him.

The airship touched down and the landing bay doors for the back of the small ship had opened, a rabble of students had all began to pile out in small groups. The last few had been the only ones unlucky enough to have his full attention. He analysed all four of them, one by one.

The obviously airsick blonde boy, his medium length hair covered his forehead. His tight shirt looked to be wrapped around almost non-existent muscles, Adam would have laughed if he were an ignorant fool, but he knew muscles were not everything. However, his choice of weapons told him that muscle would need to be added for efficiency. His shield and sword were bland of choice, along with his small metal chestplates and gauntlets. He had slightly tighter than average jeans, and regular sneakers.

 _'Not built like most of his fighting style, airsick shows a weakness to flying or heights, or both. Not a large threat, but not at all minor if he has managed to get to Beacon like this, not to underestimate.'_

His eyes shifted to the second one, a similar boy in height but built slightly leaner, looked to be more agile than the first. He looked to be of Asian descent, or at least Asian upbringing, his long black hair in a knot going down his back and a single pink streak obvious to all in his hair. His weapons were not visible, leading Adam to believe he was perhaps an unarmed fighter. What intrigued Adam the most was the fact that the boy was doing the same as he was, scanning everything around him, people and objects alike. Looked to be late to mid teens, also like the last boy. Every student at Beacon would most likely be within that age group.

 _'If an unarmed fighter, he could be formidable. Fast hands, scans his surroundings and looks to be a silent type, much like myself. However his long, green jacket could be used against him if exploited correctly. His white trousers provided no baggage, and his shoes were nothing special either, no unique colours or grip. Just plain black.'_

Adam again shifted his eyes on to another, the third looked to be the loudest so far and the most exuberant, this one was also different in gender as she was a girl. Short, ginger hair and a small frame. Not to be underestimated however, as the humungous warhammer on her back showed Adam she was nothing short of strong. Her arms showed very little muscle however, he wondered perhaps if her semblance had anything to do with that. Her combat outfit that she had on almost completely contradicted her evident fighting style, a heavy handed, viking-like warrior with a skull shattering warhammer is dressed in a set of pink shoes, a small pink dress and a grey vest with little armour.

 _'A unique fighter, she looks like a handful, her small frame and exuberant personality shows little to me other than her loud attitiude and heavy handedness on the field. She uses a heavy weapon and would be susceptible to momentum due to it, this would be the best course for taking her in a fight, a unique girl.'_

He noticed her latch on to the Asian boy, wrap around him with an evident anaconda grip, as the boy looked to be suffocating. His eyes drifted on to the blonde boy, who had wandered away from the group for a good distance, the ginger girl and Asian boy however approached Blake and Adam. He sighed as they got close.

"Helllooo! Who are you people?" The small girl asked them happily, the boy who had pried her off of his back pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed smally to himself.

"Nora, please tone it down when in the company of others." Adam took in the boys mannered voice, monotone and polite. Fitting his dress code.

 _'Polite and wellspoken, mannered too. Not completely insufferable.'_ Adam thought to himself. He quickly shut off however, as he noticed the last person leave the airship. Her long flowing red hair almost immediately giving away who shewas, but her outfit and weapons solidified it for Adam.

 _'Pyrrha Nikos. The invincible girl. She is here?'_ Adam thought with some small shock, he wasn't entirely surprised at this as he knew of her talents and combat prowess. His grip on Wilt loosened a small bit as he took in her entire frame. Thin but with muscle tone, strong and fast. Conditioned and used to combat, her spartan waistplating reaching her chest and red, cape like material coming down to just before her knees. High heeled combat boots and a constant smile to top it all off.

 _'How to fight her? Trained by some of the best of her homeland. An agile fighter, able to attack from all ranges and block from all ranges also. A challenging victim she will make.'_ He thought cunningly, methodically beginning to pick apart her personality and style to try and exploit a weakness.

A tapping on his shoulder brought his attention to Blake and the other two, he shot a glance at the other two before focusing on Blake.

"What?" He asked her.

"This is Ren-" She gestured to the asian boy and he bowed slightly, Adam returned the gesture. "And this is Nora." She pointed to the small ginger haired girl. Adam acknowledged her and was grateful she was too infatuated with Rens hair. He tossed his head back to the airship, Pyrrha had disappeared.

Adam did manage to spot a small red mane of hair heading towards the domed building, disappearing through the doors to the building.

"Blake, we need to go."

"But Adam-" She tried.

"Now." He finished and began to walk towards the dome. Blake looked to Ren and Nora with a smile, jolting her head behind her, signalling them to follow her. They both did and they walked towards the building, after Adam.

 **5 MINUTES OF WALKING LATER:**

Adam walked inside the huge dome building, taking in all small details of the structure. A huge, semi-spherical roof for the top which looked to be around ninety percent glass, the other ten percent being a metal frame to hold it all together and not collapsing on pupils. The walls had windows which brightened the room up considerable. The room itself however did look to be more of an open hall, likely for gatherings during any intervals or assembling at the request of the headmaster.

Adam noticed a few unique looking individuals at the back of the mass of students. A small red and black haired girl, similar height to Nora. A long red cape and a small red skirt, along with combat...corset perhaps? He couldn't see it too well. Her silver eyes however caught his attention, as unique as the girl herself, they were rare nowadays. She looked to be getting squeezed half to death by her cousin, perhaps sister.

 _'Her small red, compact weapon on her back looks to be extendable, wonder what it is like prepared. The girls frame looks to be heavily reliant on speed, not looking to bulky. She could prove to be nuisance more than a challenge in a fight, however perhaps a good support member. Nothing much to concern myself with.'_ He finished thinking about her and moved onto the next one.

The other girl in question was a good few inches taller than the other girl, with a huge and well kept yellow mane of hair, looked pristine and untouched. She had lilac eyes and a set of metal gauntlets on her hands. She had a vest top which was overly revealing of her chest and a really short skirt, thankfully having black shorts under it. She looked to be a brawler, which for a fighter like him was not overly challenging. But not too easy either.

 _'Looks to be a brutish fighter, but does rely on speed as well. Perhaps more of an offensive rather than defensive fighter. Perhaps we can find more out about her later on when-'_

Adams thoughts were cut off as the entire hall went silent and a grey haired man walked on stage. His outfit and symbolic cane telling Adam immediately who he was.

 _'Ozpin.'_ Adam thought to himself with small distaste. This teacher has educated many of students to fight the White Fang, however he can't blame Ozpin entirely as they had went out and opposed the cause of their own accord after Beacon.

Ozpin pushed his glasses up his nose a small bit, clearing his throat and getting ready to speak.

"I'll keep this brief. You are all here because you seek knowledge, or perhaps some seek power. I can look at all of you and know that only a small fraction of you will reach your full potential, few of you will be ready for the challenges ahead of you. Prepare yourselves and prove me wrong in my assumptions about your capabilities. Tomorrow morning there will be groups assigned for initiation. Do not miss it." He finished and walked off the stage, towards the curtains at the back. Adam smirked a small bit, he knew he could crush any challenge Ozpin had prepared. These challenges were for boys and girls barely able to hold their own against seasoned hunters and huntresses, he was a seasoned operative for the White Fang and conditioned to be as brutal and efficient as possible.

Blake nudged him with her elbow from his side, obviously seeing his smirk and deciding to make a remark about it.

"I told you that you wouldn't regret coming with me. We can change this world by just co-existing with people. Trust me Adam."

Adam felt a small twang in his chest at her tone, it was so sweetly determined and sincere. She _needed_ him here with her to prove this, and he would stick with her to the end.

"I understand, I'll do my best to live with these...people." He forced out a small, warm smile of his own for her and she retrned it. She was like a little sister to him, which is why he nearly snapped when someone shouldered her out of their way.

"Watch it-" The boy hissed, turning to his friends and referring to her as 'just another chick'. Adam spun round when he heard this and grabbed the boys shoulder, itching to split the kids head in half.

"You barged into her. Apologise." He warned, tightening his grip a small bit at every word. He could see the boy fully now and knew physical intimidation wouldn't work on him. He stood around Adams height and was built significantly more bulky as well. He had dark brown/ginger hair and it was slicked back. His plated armour showing he was also a brute, his mace confirming it for Adam.

"Get your hand off me you..." He trailed off as his eyes found their way up to Adams head, presumably his horns. He had refused to hide his horns like Blake had hidden her ears, her cat ears anyway. He understood it though, for unecessary attention she covered them up but he liked them.

"Filthy animal." He spoke consderably harsher than before now knowing Adam was a faunus.

"Quiet caveman, apologise to my friend or we will be having a rather unpleasant conversation."

"Caveman?! Watch your mouth beast or I'l-" He was cut off as the blonde girl and smaller, red and black haired girl appeared.

"Hey, what's going on here?" The smaller girl asked politely, the brutish boy throwing her a death glare.

"Stay out of this." He threatened, but took his attention off Adam fully, Adam took advantage of this and shoved his thumb under the boys collar bone, squashing it between his hand with a strong grip. The boy sank down to his knees and Adam was about to let his weapons fire at his head when Blake pryed his hand off of him.

The boy retreated a small bit and disappeared out the doors with his group. Adam now had a considerable crowd around him, hearing some whispering going on. "He got Cardin." and "Dirty creature." were just a few of them, Adam just stared at the few near him. Ren, Nora and the two sister-like girls along with Blake.

"Blake, He didn't apologise." Adam pressed the issue on.

"Adam, honestly it's fine...I can fight for myself." She teased the last part a small bit.

"I have built up anger for people like him, he needed a memorable experience, something that he would never forget. Traumatising." He spoke to her, he saw her face shift smally. He knew she didn't like him like this but she knew what she was getting into when she accepted him to come with him.

"He did deserve it, Adam is not wrong." Ren spoke up, Nora just nodding her head with him and still clinging to him.

"What did he do?" The blonde girl asked Adam.

"He was rude towards my sister." Adam quickly lied about Blake. Blake was almost not impacted by it at all and went with it, knowing what Adam was like by now.

"Oh, right. I gotcha, if he'd done it to my lil' sis I'd have caved his pretty face in." The brawler crunched her hands together. Adam liked her attitude, but that wouldn't save her in a fight.

"By the way, I'm Yang and this is Ruby!" She pulled her smaller sister in for a hug and Adam now confirmed that they were in fact sisters. The two sisters began to have some kind of dispute now, slapping each other playfully.

"Blake, where do we go for our rest?" Before he could hear Blake answer another voice pitched in.

"I think Ms. Goodwitch said earlier it was here in the hall." He recognised the overly happy tone as Pyrrha Nikos. He looked over his shoulder where she was at the door.

"I see. Thank you Miss Nikos." Adam thanked and she waved it off, a smile still present on her face and it had redened a small bit as well.

"Woah, as in Pyrrha Nikos? _The_ Pyrrha Nikos?" Yang asked in small shock, looking at her at the doorway. Adam lost interest quickly and left the group, Blake staying with them and listening. Adam approached a dark corner to the left of the doorway and sat down there, preparing to look over his munitions and weapons.

"Hey, what's your brother like?" Ruby asked Blake. Blake looked at her with a smile, trying to make a good first impression.

"He's reserved, quiet mostly and polite. He's a reliable person and kind hearted." Blake had no clue why she said the last part, especially knowing it was a lie but she couldn't say that now.

 _'Maybe Beacon can change him.'_ She thought hopefully, noticing the thoughtful look on Ruby's face.

"Why?" Blake asked her. Ruby smiled and replied with something strange.

"I just like to know people." She said, which Blake had no real problem with but she didn't want people to know much about her or her past. Or _his_ past.

"Oh. Alright then." Blake finished the conversation between them both, Pyrrha and Yang seemed to be finished as well and looking at them both.

Blake shifted under their gaze after a few minutes and walked away from them, towards the direction Adam had walked in.

She could hear them all talking, Nora significantly louder than the rest of the group behind her. She did hear Ren speaking, he was by far the calmest of the group she had met outside of Adam.

 _'He seems nice enough.'_ Was all she could think about him, she had thought of the other ones in good detail but he was different. Collected and reserved, much like another individual she knew.

Adam spotted her approaching him and his small corner of solitude. He enjoyed her prescence and liked how she was never prodding him constantly, unlike a great many others he had previously encountered.

"Hello again." Was all he said to her as she came up to him, she sighed internally and sat next to him. He had a sleeping bag on the floor and was sitting on it with his back against the wall. She got next to him and lowered herself down to the floor as well, sitting similarly to him.

She pulled a book out of her back pocket, laying her weapon on her lap and opening up her book. Adam was just scanning the room repeatedly, looking for ways out and ways to cut the power, quickest escape route and whatever else he deemed necessary knowledge about his environment. Wilt and Blush were on the floor next to him, his hand still resting on them incase of an attack or a run in with Cardin again.

Before long, the rest of the group came up to them and formed around them. Pyrrha against the wall next to Adam and Blake on the other side, he was right in the corner. Ren had Ruby and Nora beside him and Yang above him, getting into her sleeping attire, although it was around seven at night and she didn't look to be an early riser.

"So..." Ruby began, trying to get everyone in on a conversation.

"Ruby, you seem a bit young for Beacon. Why are you here?" Adam asked, throwing her and Yang both off track, everyone else just looking at either him or Ruby.

"Oh, okay...backstories it is then. I was seen taking a bunch of thugs out at a jewelers. Miss Goodwitch brought me to Ozpin and he offered me a place here, even though I hadn't quite finished my time at signal he got me in here, then I met Yang and that was that." She said, Adam didn't much care about it but still considered the words. If they held truth behind them, and her tone suggested they did, then she had a natural talent for combat it seemed. Her type of voice was what he had really wanted to examine, it was naturally soft and a nurturing type. He could gather that she put others before herself and tried to please everyone, she'd make a considerably good leader for Beacon, alongside her skill. However her intellect was something he didn't know yet and that could be the one thing to change his views on her.

"I see, what of you Yang? What is your school background?"

"Hm? I went to Signal with Rubes here, I was coming to Beacon when she was accepted in so that was handy, I'm the older and more mature one so it was only right that I can get in to look after her." Adam heard Ruby snort when Yang said she was mature, but stopped when Yang shot her a glare.

Adam hadn't much to go on with Yang, she seemd an extrovert. An outgoing, happy daredevil type of girl by her voice, she liked to be in the thick of things was his assumption but he couldn't know for sure yet. She was protective of her sister, something that is duly noted and clear as day and something easily exploited if needed.

"Alright, thank you. Ren and Nora, are you siblings? Or friends? Perhaps something more?"

"We're friends, not brother and sister and not 'something more'-" He put air quotes around that. "We came from different combat schools, though we were friends during our childhood. She latched on to me during our first school years and we grew fond of each others company. When we knew we had made it into Beacon together I was happy and Nora broke the first ship sent after us, hence why we were on the last ship sent out for Beacon." He finished with a smirk looking at Nora as she was drooling and staring into space.

His tone told Adam nothing about him, aside from that he was collected and calm, under control and able to handle pressure. His counterpart however was someone he held close, so much like Yang he could be exploited by her demise if needed. The rest of him was an enigma to him, and he didn't like that.

"Very well. Miss Nikos, what of yourself?"

"Pardon, I don't understand."

"Your history of education and training, people know of you through your public appearences and televised advertisements, but not of how you managed to get there and become as strong a fighter as you are right now. So please indulge us as to how that is." Adam saw her shiver when he finshed, perhaps his cold tone had put her on edge a small bit? He didn't know, but knew if he wanted to know more he'd need to act, and act very well. Come off as a friend for them all if he was to know them all.

"If you want to that is." He added, lighteneing his tone a small bit and putting a forced smile on his face. She looked to loosen up a small bit and brighten her expression before she started.

"Of course. I went to a variety of schools but had mostly trained at Sanctum, because of people exaggerating my talent for fighting, I was put on a very high pedestal and seen as 'too high up' for my friends, so I had to proceed along to Beacon alone and I hope to make some friends here. Nothing much else really." She finished, not exactly what Adam was looking for but not bad either, abandoned by her friends and had her family as her only support. Most likely unable to contact her family due to her celebrity status and busy lifestyle, only looking for friends when she has gifted fighting skills is unusual, but perhaps it was a human thing.

"Okay, your turn mister curious." Yang said, all eyes now focusing on both Adam and Blake. Adam sighed and replied.

"Of course, how rude. I was raised outside of the kingdoms and Blake was raised by her family, who were talented fighters. The Belladonnas. I was taught to fight by my own family also, but decided to go into Beacon to-" He swallowed very hard as a small bit of sickness had worked its way up his throat. "To help people and fight evil. Blake I imagined is the same and we met, got talking on our flight here and that's it."

Adam saw them all nod a small bit, taking it in. Blake was completely engrossed in her book and was too focused to care about her surroundings, she wouldn't have a problem with this story. It was perfect.

"Fair enough I guess, so what about initiation? I heard it's to be different than the years before. Like no forest death jump at all, just brutal and non-stop grimm coming at us." Yang immediately said after he finished, changing the subject instantly.

 _'How on Remnant are these children to learn about fighting and using the environment if they are cooped up with the beasts?!'_ Adam thought with small anger, Ozpin must have lost it.

"So no outside fighting?" Adam asked, Yang was quick to respond and it relieved Adam a small bit.

"We still go outside, we just get told to go somewhere and hold out for hours, if we survive then we're allowed to go back, if not then...umm."

"We don't come back at all." Adam finished for her with a smirk, she had maintained her smile throughout, but concern for her sister was obvious in her eyes.

Ren looked to be assessing it, much like Adam was, impressing Adam. No other student Adam has seens assesses like him. Blake and Nora were focused on their things, Blake on her book and Nora on floating bits of dust. Pyrrha and Ruby were the only ones allowing concern to show through. Ruby was obvious, she knew she couldn't prepare for this no matter what Ozpin said. She was a few years too early for this type of trial.

Pyrrha he was uncertain about as she had the training, was mentally and physically ready, knew what she was doing and when, knew how to act if others succumbed to the hordes of emotionless beasts. What did she have to be worried about?

"Pyrrha, you look worried. Why?" Adam asked, fully rotating his head to the left to face her, she stared directly at him before responding.

"I don't know. Just pre-fight nerves perhaps." She said, in her still positive tone. But her eyes said something else to him, and he was good at reading people. Perhaps she was afraid? But she has been through worse, unless he was underestimating the grimm then she had nothing to be worried about.

"I see, well we can all ensure each others success thorughout this initiation, right?" He asked them all, each nodding aside from Nora and Blake, who had both just been in their own worlds. Adam knew Blake would say yes and Nora seemed like the type to nod along nonchalantly.

"Good. Now, when is this tomorrow?" Adam asked the group.

"I'd think he will tell us in the morning, when we're all awake." Yang said, laying down next to Ruby with her own sleeping bag rolled out. Adam just nodded and laid his head back against the wall, trying to get an early night for tomorrow.

The idea of sleep hadn't even had time to seem appealing for Adam before students began to pour through the doors and settle insde the hall, he spotted Cardin and his group near a huge group of girls, all purposely 'misplacing' their shirts aside from the mohawked one, he had his vest on and shorts with earphones in, trying to sleep as well.

 _'Ironic that the punk looking one of their group seems the smartest as well.'_ Adam thought, staring through his masks slits at everyone in the hall. He noticed the blonde boy frm earlier and another familiar person appear and settle with their group.

Adam immediately recognised the girl with him, the white hair confirming it and the attitude just rubbing it Schnee. He almost shot her right there, but Pyrrha was next to his rifle sheathe and would probably catch his hand after it, plus Blake would be penalised as well for that. His eyes felt like they were bursting now, the familiar sensation of them going red.

After he had calmed down a small bit, he noticed Blake had set her book down after hearing Weiss talk. She kept glancing at Adam every now and again, to make sure he wouldn't gut her right there. He wouldn't.

He did manage to learn that the blonde boy was called Jaune, Jaune Arc. An Arc here with him and Pyrrha Nikos? This was looking up, knowing Jaune could handle himself, Adam could handle himself and Pyrrha could as well as Blake? That was an impressive group.

Adam was about to close his eyes again, before he remembered that he should probably change as well, reaching into his jacket for his vest and shorts. They were packed flat so didn't need much room. He managed to find his shorts, but no vest. He fumbled for a bit, drawing the attention of Pyrrha and Weiss.

"Is there something wrong?" Pyrrha asked, having changed as well, into a one piece nightie, Weiss removed her dress and had her nightie on already beneath it. He had spent a minute now trying to find the vest and it wasn't there. It must have come out of the flight to Beacon or he had forgotten it.

 _'Fuck.'_ Adam thought as he stood up, removing his suited trousers to put the shorts on. He pulled them up his legs in a second and now faced a predicament. He had his dress shirt that he refused to sleep in, as well as his jacket which he would not wear to sleep in either. He sighed as he removed them both, folded them and sat them to the side. He now felt like Cardin and his group, standing near a group of girls shirtless. He hated it, drew too much unwanted attention.

He immediately noticed Pyrrha and Yang look at his chest, not unexpected but unwelcome. He had scars he wished they couldn't see. He rested against the wall again, still feeling a set of eyes on him. He scanned the group and found it was Blake, she was ging to sleep in her t-shirt and shorts. She had her book, clothes and weapon on Adams pile.

What happened next was something Adam considered to be a miracle, Jaune came walking towards the group from the bathroom where he had gotten changed. He had a bright blue onesie on, something that toddlers would wear. But he wore it with pride, not bending to societal expectations of him needing to go topless and show off. Adam was now shocked at the fact that it was society's expectations on his mind. Not the onesie, society. He sighed again.

Jaune sat next to them, in his own bedroll. Ren had his own t-shirt and shorts to sleep in and looked to have fallen asleep already along with Nora, them both in one bedroll. Ruby had rolled over but wasn't asleep. She had a black shirt and red trousers to sleep in. Yang had a small vest and skimpy shorts and was staring across the hall now, away from him. Pyrrha had also fallen asleep. Adam laid back against the stone cold wall, trying to sleep as well.

The noise in the hall had began to die down and only a few people were talking, unfortunately for him and the rest of his group one of those people was Jaune, talking in his sleep. Adam wanted to kill him, a good fifteen minutes he had been at this and no-one had stepped in.

"Wake him up or knock him unconscious please." Adam said to the group as he sat upright now and fully awake. Yang reeled her arm back and was ready to sucker punch Jaune, before Ruby got in the way and just shook Jaune awake.

"Shhh, Jaune? Jaune." She whispered, trying not to wake up anyone else around them. Ren had woken up, but stayed laying down and Nora was out cold. Blake was leaning against Adams arm, trying to sleep as well but her fluttering eyes said otherwise. Pyrrha was similar to Blake, but looking around the hall with tired eyes.

"You keep talking in your sleep. You need to talk about it?" Ruby placed a friendly hand on his shoulder with an equally friendly smile and almost immediately Adam could have sworn he saw Yangs eyes turn red for a split second. Her expression certainly had changed, turned more serious and calculating. Who is this girl?

Jaune just rubbed his eyes a small bit, yawned and smiled back. Adams eyes remained fixed on Yang however, she looked ready to jump on Jaune and beat him half to death.

"I'm fine thanks Ruby, thanks for waking me up...I didn't wake any of you guys up did I?" He asked, a small blush and a nervous smile on his face.

"Well actually y-" Adam began, but Blake stopped him.

"No, it's alright. You caught us before we went to sleep." She reasurred as he let out a small sigh of relief. Adam thought she was trying to get some sleep, but evidently he was wrong.

"Oh, good. I shouldn't be talking again so you can all go to sleep worry free." He said, going to rest again. Everyone followed the gesture and tried to fall asleep, except Adam who kept his eyes fixed on both Yang and Pyrrha.

 _'This Yang girl, her eyes change colour at her emotional turmoil. Interesting and something to warn us should we be fighting her.'_ He thought to himself, eyes floating over to Pyrrha again, trying to keep her in his sight. He knew of how good a fighter she was and how talented she was in general, in and out of combat.

 _'Miss Nikos is certainly...different than expected. Her celebrity status doesn't seem to impact her personality negatively at all, in fact she seems to try and fight it a small bit, due to losing friends and some family to it. How strange that she cares about this.'_ He thought, being able to relate a small bit to that aspect of losing family and friends, except his was due to being a top operative and basically leader of a so called 'Terrorist' organisation. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, trying to get to sleep for now and think more about it tomorrow. He slowly let leep engulf him after scanning the rest of the group, making sure they were all asleep first.

 **ADAMS DREAM:**

 _Adam, about 16 years old was sitting in the room of a musky, dirty and wrecked house. His home. The slums outside echoing with dog barks, cats screeching and gunshots in the far distance. He was more focused on his drunken father downstairs, he had just gotten in from work and that never boded well for Adam._

 _The door to his bedroom slammed open, Adam looked up from his corner that he was trying to hide in, his father seen him instantly and came staggering towards him with an empty bottle._

 _"Dad, don't...please." Adam begged his dad, being met with a backhand to his cheek, knocking him to the ground and almost knocking him out._

 _"Shhhut up...yoouuu little rodent of a bbboy." His dad slurred out, Adam could feel it beginning to well up inside him again. Just like the last time, his unwelcome rage just came over him. His dad brought his bottle to his face, examining it before smashing it against the wall next to Adam. Adam flinching at it, but should be used to it._

 _"Dad, put the bottle down, go to bed please." He spoke calmly to the runkard, but was met with a punch to the jaw. Adam yelped in pain, a faint cry coming from across the room. His dad had woken up the baby._

 _"Dad. Stop it, now." Adam began to threaten, picking up a small bit of glass, he didn't want him to stop, he wanted a reason to kill this fucker. Just one more time._

 _"Shhhh, the babby's awake now cause ah YOU!" He brought his hand up again, Adam choosing to react now and shoved the piece of glass into his fathers wrist, severing an artery...hopefully. He screamed in pain, the infant across the room screaming even louder now._

 _"Shhhhh...If my real dad were here, this would have gone very differently, but I have you! You?! You're a joke, and I don't find it very fucking funny!" He shouted as he ripped the glass from his dad's wrist and shoved it through his eye. He collapsed down, surprisingly not making a sound, the pool of blood probably being the cause of that. He fell lifelessly to the ground and remained completely still. He was dead by the looks of it. Adam sighed, laid back against the wall, his step-dad laying dead at his feet. Adam feeling completely hollow except one thing. An overwhelming anger, the baby didn't stop crying._

 _He got up, walked across the room and looked into the small crib, the baby stopping it's cries and holding up a small hand, Adam taking the baby's arm in his hand, stroking it gently._

 _"Shame, you'd have made a good Taurus." Adam said coldly, putting both arms around the baby's neck and snapping it completely, the baby only got a split-second scream out before it went quiet and it's mouth began leaking blood. Everything around Adam went black, he clutched his head and collapsed to the ground, seeing shapes and people he didn't recognise now. He shut his eyes, hoping to stop it all._

 _ **END OF ADAMS DREAM:**_

Adam woke up with a startled breath, shooting looks around him and reaching for his blade. He felt it and tried to pull it up, but realised immediately that it was not actually the hilt of Wilt. It was Pyrrha's forearm. She woke up and her darting eyes settled on Adam, almost punching him. Adam had a death grip on her forearm but didn't loosen it, he hadn't had a dream like that for a while. Over a half a decade he has been without dreaming of that. He snapped back and let her arm go, seeing red marks beginning to form on her arm but fade away almost instantly, likely her aura.

"Sorry Miss Nikos, a bad dream." He said, trying to hide the shock in his tone but failing. He could see through the slits in his mask that she had a warm smile as she rubbed her arm and he looked around their group. No-one else had been woken up by his outburst. He could barely remember anything from that time, his dream just filled with blackness except those people and shapes. But he remembered that day so much, hated it. That was the day he snapped, lost everything that made him a person and became a monster. A beast.

 _'Just like the humans wanted us all to be-'_ He began to think, but Pyrrha caught his attention.

"Hey, it's alright. Would you perhaps like to talk about it?" She whispered to him, as friendly as always. He was initially shocked, why was she asking him this?

 _'Is she trying to find out about me? Much like I did with her? Perhaps. I won't allow this.'_ He thought as he shook his head, no in response, but gave her a forced smile for her caring.

"Do you know what time it is?" He asked politely, trying to keep his friendly facade up. He was sickened by the friendly, outgoing him.

"I believe it's around three or four in the morning." She said, he hated the way she spoke. It was just so sweet, so caring and so friendly.

 _'Wait, how does she know this?'_ He thought. She didn't have a watch or a phone.

"Are you certain of that?" He asked, facing her now. She smiled even wider before responding.

"Of course, the sun is just beginning to rise and I am an early trainer."

"I see, should we go and prepare for this initiation?"

"It isn't for another few hours-" She said playfully before responding.

"-But sure, can't hurt to get some extra practice." She said, rising to her feet and grabbing her armour. Adam sighed and did the same, making sure to avoid the sleeping feline faunus next to him.

He stood a few inches from Pyrrha, staring at her back as she went to walk away. Time seemed to slow down a small bit as he began to notice her hair. In fine detail, just the blood red colour. He hasn't seen that kind of red in a while. But he would shortly.

He grabbed his own attire and weapon, and headed for the changing rooms to change, for some privacy and maybe a shower.

 **15 MINUTES LATER IN THE COURTYARD:**

"So, where are the training grounds?" Adam asked her, she was standing there in her regular fighting armour, and he was in his signature fighting suit.

"I...don't know." She said admittedly, she rubbed her neck softly with a small redness on her face.

"So we got up early, at around 4 AM, for nothing?"

"Well, to be fair it was you that woke us up, we could have went back to sleep but you suggested the training." She said back, holding her shield and spear up to him. He looked at them, suspicious.

"What?"

"I'd like to challenge you-" She spoke before dropping her weapons to the ground, now having no form of protection. Adam raised a brow, not that she could see anyway.

"Unarmed combat, first to hit their backs on the ground loses." She spoke confidently, he liked her idea of training. He placed Wilt and Blush on the ground next to her weapons.

"I accept Miss Nikos-"

"Please, Pyrrha is fine." She said as she crouched down into a combat stance. She was ready to fight now.

"I see, of course Pyrrha. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into." He said with a confident smirk.

"Don't be so dramatic." She replied before sprinting at him and closing the gap between them. He reacted swiftly, sidestepping her as she tried for an uppercut but hit nothing, he brought his foot up and kicked her in the ribs, winding her. She doubled over and wheezed a small bit, but turned on him. He stood there calmly, stoically tall. He remained focused on her.

She smiled a small smile at him before approaching him again, slower this time and more cautiously. He brought his arms up defensively, one at his waist height and one at his chest. She went to kick his knee out from under him, forcing him to move his hand down, she however reversed her leg back quickly and brought it up to his chest and knocked him back a few steps.

 _'Ouch.'_ He thought, her boots hurt. She ran at him, trying to take advantage of this but he expected that as much. He shot down to one knee and punched the side of her knee, almost buckling it. He then wrapped his arm around her other leg and tried to snap it. She must have thought this through, as she brought an elbow down on top of his head quickly and forced him to release her leg, staggering back to his full height again and holding his head.

"This feels very tedious, care to up the action? Add some adrenaline."

"What are you going for?" She asked, completely unfazed by the fight, unlike Adam who had a headache. He reached down for his blade, and her spear that were next to him. He tossed the spear to her and held his blade, leaving her shield and Blush on the ground.

"I want injuries here, not nusances. Hurt me Miss Nikos." He said to her, preparing Wilt at his side. She held her spear out like a javelin and smirked as she reeled it back.

"Alright Adam, you asked for it." She threw her spear as soon as she finished and ran at him, he moved to the side almost lazily as it flew past him and readied his blade. As soon as she was a foot away from him he slashed at her, a quick and effortless slash at her thigh. He hit her but her aura kept her safe from most of it, just bruising for now.

She staggered back and held her arm out, as if trying to catch something. He decided to try and attack her now but was immediately thrown off by a whizzing coming from behind him. He rolled to the side, making sure his back didn't touch the ground and it was only his arm.

She stood there once again, the rising sun behind her and readied her spear again for another throw. Adam was once again on his knee and focused.

Completely focused on her, nothing else. Looking for muscle movement, blinking and faint changes. She pulled her arm back and he closed his eyes behind his mask, tightening his grip on Wilt. She threw it and he almost instantly brought his sword up to knock it away to the side. He succeeded and it span to the side, he then returned the favour and tossed his sword at her, with her being caught off by his success over her spear. As soon as her spear landed on the concrete with a loud clanging his swords hilt collided with her head and knocked her down, on to her back.

He rose up, smiling smally as he walked over to her and offered his hand out.

"You fought well, but not well enough." He said, as the adrenaline was still going form the fight, he pulled her up effortlessly as she took his hand. She reclaimed her weapons and looked at Adam, he had his weapons at his side already.

"What should we do now?" She asked, both of them were not very worked out. Adam held Wilt and Blush up to his face and examined them carefully, smirking confidently as Pyrrha made to go back inside.

"Round two?" He offered, she had her own smile on her face again as she turned around and nodded in confirmation, crouching down again and ready with her shield and spear. He stood stoically and waited for her to move.

After a few moments of silence between them, they both charged each other and the sound of blade-on-blade echoed throughout the slightly lit, lifeless courtyard.

 **3 HOURS LATER:**

Yang, Blake and Ren woke up to the noise coming from the doors opening for entering the hall. The three cast their gaze over to the doors, they saw Adam walking in with Pyrrha, Pyrrha was talking to him and he was remaining silent, scanning the hall for anything he didn't like the looks of. The pair approached the group and Blake was the only one with a smile, aside from a sweating Pyrrha.

"What were you guys doin?" Yang asked, stretching and getting up from her bedroll.

"Training, we were testing each other." Adam said, panting a small bit with a few beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Yeah, he's very good." Pyrrha said, panting a lot more than he was. She looked strained out and he looked similar.

"Is that all you were doing?" Yang asked them suggestively, Adam ignored her and headed towards the back of the hall for the changing rooms. Pyrrha sat down and fumbled around her bag for a small bit, looking for a towel.

"Yang, that sounded rather crude." Pyrrha said, blushing a small bit and searching her bag a bit more franticly now.

"Meh, I know. So, who won? Pyrrha Nikos or Adam?" Yang asked, the other non-sleeping memebers of the group all looked at her now, a bit interested at the answer.

"We had ten rounds, five of no weapons and five with them. He won four unarmed and two armed. He is a strong opponent." She said, finally finding her towel and sighing in relief.

"Really? He beat you?" Yang asked, shocked a small bit but trying not to let it seap through. Blake spoke up for Pyrrha next.

"Yang, her stage name may say differently but no-one is really invincible." Blake told her, like the voice of reason. Pyrrha was about to thank her but was cut off by a screech from Nora, who had just woken up and insisted on screaming for her morning stretch.

"Mooorning everyone!" Nora sang happily to the group, waking everyone in a miles vicinity up. Ruby awoke with a start and rubbed her eyes, Ren rubbed his ears from Nora's scream. Jaune looked like he wanted god to kill him, he looked very tired and Weiss shot a glare at Nora that would frighten any non-psychopath, basically threatening to mutilate her.

"Why do you feel the need to scream first thing in the morning?" Weiss asked her, like scolding a dog. Nora just kept a smile on her face and stuck her tongue out childishly at Weiss, Blake laughed at the scene.

"We shouldn't argue when we have initiation this morning, we should get along until then as we'll need to have each others backs, no distractions." Ren told them lazily, having a yawn at the end. The group all nodded, Pyrrha headed for the girls changing rooms and everyone else tried to fish around for their own towels or clothes. Blake then noticed Adam coming out of the changing rooms with his suit on again and wet hair. He approached their group, even in that he looked like he was stalking his prey.

"I see you're all awake, anything to do with the screech I heard?" He asked them, a small smirk on his lips. Blake spotted this, he looked amused. Genuinly amused, happy-ish. Likely the happiest he's been in a long time, she smiled herself.

"Yes, thank Nora for the noise that has woken up the entire hall." Blake replied, gesturing to the rest of the hall. Adam looked around, seeing dark and threatening expressions being thrown at their group. He was silently daring someone to try anything for them behind his mask.

"Ah, I heard her very clearly over the shower, I assumed someone was being attacked How did you put up with it for so long Ren?" He asked Ren, he let out a small laugh at that.

"She's unique, her own person. She let's no-one change that, I wouldn't have her any other way." He said, contently as she wrapped around him again and grounded them both.

"Awwww Rennny!" Adam almost deafened by her squeal out, but he was more focused on Blake now.

"Blake, is something wrong?" He asked, noticing a smile on her lips for a solid four or five minutes now. She looked at him, maintaining her smile as she replied.

"Everything's fine, thanks for the concern." He didn't like this, she was normally wary around people she didn't know and people she did she was even worse with. He began to get suspicious.

"Blake, don't-" He was interrupted by a fully dressed Yang coming towards them, they hadn't even notice her slip away to change.

"Hey guys! We've to go and meet with the rest of the first years to get ready." She told them all, everyone now rushing to their respective changing rooms to change. Blake shoved past Adam and ran towards the changing rooms.

This left three people now, Pyrrha, Adam and Yang. He looked each of them over.

Yang looked ready for a fight, her gauntlets ready and she was excited looking. Pyrrha again, looked nervous but had no good reason to be, not one that Adam knew of.

"Have we recieved any form of details on our initiation?" Adam asked Yang, she responded by shaking her head, no.

 _'These children have some energy, I can admit that much. But have they got the minds for this type of combat?'_ He mentally asked himself, he knew Pyrrha and Blake did as it was blatantly obvious. The Schnee, probably not ready for this. _'We can only hope she is taken from us.'_ Adam thought, he knew she deserved that. Although this seems too good for her, to die at Beacons initiation. _'Stab wounds by the homeless and left to bleed in an alley is fitting for her.'_

 _'Enough now, we left that life behind when we joined Blake. We can start a new with her and at Beacon.'_

 _'No, some things just cannot be left behind.'_

 _'Steady Adam, if we expose ourselves too severely then Blake is ripped from the school as well, with us and sent to whatever prison is right. We can't go back to the Fang, not now.'_

He was snapped back to reality as Yang snapped her fingers in his face, he shot his free hand up and grabbed it from her, pulling her close and tightening his grip.

"Yang, do not interrupt me in thought please, it is rude." He spat, releasing her wrist after he finished. She pulled it back and kept her smile on her face.

"Sheesh, sorry tall-dark and scary." She finished with a laugh, Adam laughed as well. _'She has no idea what I can do. Scary is an understatement.'_ He thought with a small sense of amused confidence. He spotted the rest of their group appearing from the changing rooms now. Nora latching on to Ren as he emerged in front of her and Weiss coming behind them. Blake was right behind Weiss, shooting her a dirty look and Jaune directly behind Blake.

They all had their weapons with them, aside from Ren. Adam couldn't take it much longer now, he had to know.

"Ren, I noticed you have no weapon, are you an unarmed fighter?" He asked, breaking his silence as Blake stood next to him.

"I have automatic pistols, Storm Flower." He said, and as he finished two small machine pistols shot from his sleeves and were showed to everyone. Nora looked bored of them.

"But I can fight unarmed, melee as well as a sizeable range." He said, putting them back into his sleeves. Adam took them in for the brief time they were out with a mental image. _'Solid metal frame, green tinge and solid steel blade, disproportional to the rest of the pistol but he knows how to handle them evidently.'_ He finished his assessment of them and was a bit impressed. This boy knew how to fight, assess and work as part of a team...if his attitude was any consollation.

Adam then heard Ozpin take his place up on the stage and the entire hall hushed, everyone looking up to him now.

"I see you have all prepared for your upcoming initiation. So, you will organise yourselves into groups consisting of eight to ten members. You will go to the landing pads and will be flown into the centre of the Emerald forest being dropped one by one on to the floor of the forest, the first person you make eye contact with when you land will be your partner for the remainder of your stay at Beacon. When you arrive on the forest floor your top priority is to find your way towards a shrine north of your landing zone. You'll know what to do when you get there. Return to Beacon when you are done in the forest and have found the shrine."

Ozpin finished and returned backstage. A mad scramble broke out as people rushed to find themselves a small group to go with, Adam sighed and looked his group over, there were nine of them so that fit well enough. They all huddled together and began to talk with each other, Blake inviting Adam into it, he reluctantly approached and listened in to their words of encouragement.

"So, it's time I guess. Good luck guys?" Jaune spoke to them nervously.

"Try not to get lost, if you do just listen for the sloth call!" Nora exclaimed, before producing a hell-hound like shriek, apparently her sloth call.

"Remain calm, if you're weak you won't make it back. So be strong." Adam added in, getting strange looks, but Ren seemed to understand it.

"And on that, we should head out. Don't wanna be late for it!" Yang shouted at the group, before locking her arm around Ruby's and running out the door. Nora grabbed Ren and did the same, Jaune walked nervously out the door and Blake walked after him, probably to comfort him. Leaving Weiss, Adam and Pyrrha. Adam felt the Schnes's eyes on his horns, facing her now he questionned her.

"Is there a problem?" He asked venomously.

"I beg your pardon?" She sweetly replied.

"You're focused on my head rather than the fight of your life that is about an hour from now, why?" He asked irritably, annoyed at her.

"I couldn't help but notice your horns, you're a goat faunus?"

"Bull." He corrected, not fully blaming her as it was a common misunderstanding.

"Ah, all look the same if you ask me." She said, Adam noticed Pyrrha frown a small bit at that but he had more pressing things now.

"Yes, but no-one is asking you." He replied after a few seconds of self-control, his only reaction was his grip tightening on Wilt.

"What's your problem?"

"You and your family, Schnee. You know fine well why I have a problem, and you know fine well what that problem is." He spoke, anger lacing his words now.

"My family, they're not me."

"I can see that, but you share their views."

"I do NOT, I-" She was beginning to raise her voice before Pyrrha stepped in.

"We can settle this another time, we have initiation coming up and may need to rely on each other. Try and stay civil, please." She spoke, she managed to calm Adam down, something that surprised him as it was only Blake who can _just talk_ and calm him down.

"Fine, goodbye Schnee." Adam spat his goodbye and headed for the doors, throwing them both open and proceeding to the ships. Pyrrha followed and Weiss was the last of them to leave, but being suppressed by the other students filing out by the hundreds.

 _'IGNORANT, INSUFFERABLE LITTLE GIRL! I'LL RIP HER APART, SHE'LL NEVER LEAVE THAT FOREST! I'LL HUNT HER DOWN!'_ Adam mentally ranted, taking his seat on the Bullhead now, next to Jaune and with one free seat next to him. He mentally prayed for Pyrrha to take it and not the Schnee girl.

He kept having waves of rage flow through him, he felt the sensation behind his eyes and could see their glow on the inside of his mask. _'Fuck sake, not now.'_ He could see the other side of the Bullhead begin to reflect his glow, he placed a hand over his mask and sighed. It began to go away, he felt warmth next to him and stole a look for a second, seeing familiar spartan armour next to him. He calmed down enough for now.

The engines of the ship roared to life and took into the air, Adam sat Wilt and Blush on the floor between his feet and placed both hands on his lap, hoping to clear his mind before the drop-off.

He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift away from him and just feel empty. It was bliss, but short lived bliss as a hand landed on his, he tensed at it. it was to the right of him and the only one there was Pyrrha.

"Yes Miss Nikos?"

"I've said before, Pyrrha is fine. And are you alright? you seem frustrated." Her voice could barely be heard above the ngines, and that was _with_ his faunus hearing. He nodded yes smoothly, hoping to get away with it. But this prayer wasn't answered.

"Obviously not, you're very tense."

"Because I am in physical contact with someone I barely know." As Adam finished that, her hand let go and slid back to her spear on her lap.

"It wasn't an...nevermind."

"Wasn't a what?"

"Nevermind. How far are we out?" He shouted to the pilot, changing the subject and grabbing his weapons as he looked out the window and saw nothing but green treeline.

"We're E.T.A is five minutes, get ready to jump!" The pilot shouted back throughout the small cabin, Adam sat up from his seat and headed for the doors at the back. They began to lower and open, a strong wind coming in and freezing them all half to death.

 _'What an interesting sight, such a beautifully peaceful forest.'_ He thought to himself. He cast a gaze behind him, memorising each face so he could remember the ones that don't make it.

"Okay! One by one! Dude with the horns goes first!" The pilot shouted, Adam smirked and obliged.

He leapt from the ships doors and plummeted towards the ground, focusing all of his aura into his feet for landing, he was around a hundred metres from the ground now and steadied himself, trying to get a perfect landing on the small clearing beneath him.

After a few seconds of flight, Adam landed on the ground, making a few cracks in it where he landed. He immediately pulled Wilt from it's sheathe and scanned the woodland around him, listening for anything. No small noises, no birds or insects. Nothing. It was dead silence all around him.

 _'North, the sun is north. Look towards the light.'_ He told himself mentally, looking up and seeing it was directly in front of him, he sprinted in that direction to avoid any crowds or unecessary fights.

He kept running, not slowing down for anything, if a branch was in his way he sliced it down with his sword.

He never kept count of how long he was running, it seemed like forever but he had made it to another clearing after a few miles of running. He stared at his surroundings again, taking them all in should they be needed. He was about to set off on another sprint again, but stopped. He heard it.

And again, but a small bit louder.

And again, it was behind him. He tensed up and readied his weapons for a fight. He turned slowly to face it, a huge hissing noise coming from the black head of a King Taijuti. Adam rolled to the left, behind a thick tree trunk and pulled Wilt out.

 _'I'm not going to be slowed down by a snake.'_ He told himself, the two heads appearing at either side of the tree and ready to strike at him. He quickly fired at the white head of the beast with Blush and blocked a strike from the black one with the blade. He ran away from the tree and a good distance from the two recovering heads. He assessed the situation, two heads that are susceptible to it's own venom. Quickest reactions in the animal kingdom and second strongest paralyzing venom, enormous size and plated with heavy scales. Weighs around a half tonne to two tonne.

 _'Take the eyes.'_ He planned out in his head, it wound itself around the tree and crushed it, the tree collapsing on top of it and breaking more. The snake hissed again, getting ready to strike at him. He readied his blade and enhanced his right arm with his aura.

The snakes' white head lashed out and Adam fired at it with Blush, effectively catching just above it's eye and making it bleed. _'As good a distraction as any.'_ He told himself silently, he sprinted at the black head and slowed down as he neared it, wanting it to strike him first. It did as expected, he rolled to the side and plunged Wilt in as its head hit the dirt. He caught it in the eye perfectly and rammed it further in, hoping for a quick kill. It got stuck in a piece of its skull and it rose up, taking him with it. He was forced to drop his sheathe and hold on to his blade with both hands as it began to shake its head around.

"Enough creature." He told it calmly, it stopped shaking and remained still, the white head roping around and spotting him.

"Come on!" He shouted at it, it opened its mouth and struck at him, he focused his aura into his arms and ripped the blade out of its eye, the white head impaling the black one with its teeth.

The grimm dropped to the ground and stayed lifeless.

Adam landed on his feet, picked up his sheathe and put his sword back in it. He proceeded to begin his sprint again through the forest.

Tree's kept passing him by, branches almost taking him off his feet and needing to jump a few downed tree's but he soon got into a huge clearing with a small temple looking structure. _'This is what the Professor wanted us all to find?'_ He asked himself mentally, he slowly apporached it and began getting his breath back from his forest-long sprint.

He saw a few chess pieces on some pedestals, he walked up and looked them all over. They didn't look trapped or laced with anything to attract grimm...but you can never be too sure with Ozpin. Adam lifted the small, black rook and headed back the way he came, towards Beacon.

He kept hearing gunfire, and screaming from what sounded like humans. He also heard the faint cry of a Nevermore. _'Not my fight, not my problem.'_ He told himself, the weak would perish and the strong would flourish. He was strong.

 _'Blake, I wonder if she has found a partner yet. Or has Pyrrha found a partner? The two sisters will find each other and hopefully the Schnee doesn't come back.'_ Adam hoped the last part. He strongly hoped it would happen, for the sakes of everyone at Beacon. He walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Not saying anything aloud to himself, not paying attention to the noises around him anymore after they kept repeating themselves. He must have been walking for a solid hour or so by now, before he began to get aggravated. He swung his sword at tree's and ripped pieces of bark off of some of them as well when he began to hear faint wails of a baby. He cracked his neck a small bit, hoping to just make it back to Beacon and get some sleep.

 _'For FUCK SAKE! How far is the school?!'_ He began to doubt his sense of direction now, thinking he was lost. He couldn't be, he knew where they had flown from, he had been walking for a while and he was frustrated. He could feel himself begin to get very restless, being unable to stand still and clear his head. He did hear the faint cry, normally he would ignore it but it sounded like Yang, shouting after her sister.

 _'Our boredom could be subsided if we meet someone, no matter who. Just don't look them in the eyes.'_

 _'A good idea, the silence is getting to me and I can't stand the cries of that child anymore.'_

He made a right turn and ran in the direction of the shout, hoping to find them soon because his trigger finger was getting twitchy.

He finally arrived at a small clearing, a huge row of feathers scattered the ground and the small Ruby girl looked to be caught in them. Adam also noticed a Deathstalker trapped in a bit of ice, but it was breaking through it. And fast.

The Nevermore was obvious, doing nothing but circling her, he also noticed a rather sizeable group behind her, all looking to be unmoving. He saw that they were all lookingat each other, so it was impossible they all had no partners. Adam wanted to run over and ask them how they got in this situation, but the Nevermore stopped that. Blake looked over and noticed him lurking in the treeline and looked to talk to the others as they looked over, but he was too far to hear what they were saying.

Blake made a series of gestures, telling him that she and the others could take the Nevermore, but the Deathstalker was something he'd take alone. He smirked excitedly.

 _'A fight. Just what I was needing.'_ He thought, drawing his sword and walking over to the huge scorpion calmly, trying not to alert it to his prescence. Ruby was still stuck under the feathers and the Nevermore was trying to kill all the students in the group, preventing them from helping her. Yang looked panicked at everytime the ice broke a small bit off from the Deathstalker.

Adam had two choices now, attack the Deathstalker and risk it getting to Ruby, or try and get her out from the hundred pound feather, risking them both. _'Logic dictates I choose option one, but something tells me I'd fit in better if I helped her.'_ He sighed audibly before breaking into a spring towards Ruby _'I could have ended the scorpion before it broke free. FUCK!'_ He thought, adrenaline returning to him now as he was under pressure to get there on time. He finally got there and she spotted him, she had a determined look on her face and a huge scythe next to her.

"Good morning Ruby." He spoke calmly, looking at the huge feather that had her cloak impaled to the ground. He was thrown out of his thoughts by the occasional screams from the Nevermore and cracking of the ice behind him. He brought his blade up and went to cut the cloak but Ruby held her hands up, stopping him.

"No, NO, NO! This was my mom's...I don't want it completely destroyed." Adam drew a breath, irritated at her connection to a thin piece of fabric. He put his blade to the side again, trying to think. He glanced over at the group for a split second and saw two members out of the fight, Yang trying to run for Ruby and Ren holding her back.

 _'Stupid girl, help the others.'_ He mentally complained, he drew a blank for ideas on the feather situation however. He had to resort to caveman tactics, brute strength. He dropped his blade to the ground, deciding to use his adrenaline and aura to his arms. He wrapped both hands around the huge feather and began to pull it, it was beginning to move a slight bit when the ice behind him finally broke completely. He looked over his shoulder and saw the scorpion regaining its senses and spotting them both.

 _'How unfortunate, we should hurry.'_ He told himself, pulling harder and harder. The ground began to shake a small bit as it came thundering towards them.

"Adam! Just go, get yourself out of here before it get's here!" She screamed, he even saw a stray tear come down her face. His mind flashed with images of the infant again. It's cries. It's blood.

"I hate you." He whispered to himself as he put one final thrust into it and ripped the feather from the ground. Ruby had her eyes closed and the Deathstalker had thrown itself at them, he took in everything.

Her closed eyes, her tears. The screams of her sister just barely audible over the calls of the Nevermore. Adam wrapped one arm around Ruby and her scythe and the other around his blade.

He threw himself at the Deathstalker and missed it, rolling under it and sticking his blade upwards through its softspot in the underbelly. He successfully cleaved through its organs and it flew lifelessly over them, he kept Ruby held tightly and continued to fly past the body, landing in the dirt behind it.

Time seemed to stand still for Adam, the last time he held something this tightly was when he snapped. He clicked back to reality when he felt her hitting his chest, thanking him repeatedly.

"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" She shouted, muffled into his jacket, he got up and helped her to her feet. He didn't know why she reacted like this, this kind of thing was normal for groups at Beacon, especially during combat.

"Yes, it's alright. Ruby, your sister is over there, getting attacked from the-" Adam was cut off when the entire bird exploded in a pink mist and a puff of ginger hair came flying out from it. Adam was astonished for a second, Nora was a maniac if she was inside that thing and still alive.

"Nevermind." Adam finished, he released her and she grabbed a hold of her weapon and began to jog over to Yang. Adam rose as well, he approached their group and saw them all exhausted. He couldn't blame them, young teens fighting a creature like that would be tiring. Not that he was much older, likely by a year or two.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted relieved and grabbed her when she arrived, hugging her tightly. Adam had done his part, he had gotten his fight.

 _'Time to head for Beacon. Resume our treck back there.'_ He decided and turned to walk away from them, Blake shouted after him before he could shut them all out.

"Adam! Don't you want to come with us? We can find the temple together, and be safer."

"Blake, I have my piece, you all have your partners. You can find your way, can't you?" He pressed, wanting to be alone and think.

"Ummm...yeah, sure. You don't have a partner?"

"No, I...couldn't find anyone." Blake immediately knew he was lying, he knew she knew. He was then drawn to Yang as she shouted over to him.

"Hey, Bull boy! You're comin with us, come on!" She sounded happy that Ruby was back. Adam sighed as Ren and the rest of them appeared, _most_ of their group wanting Adam to go with them. Ren remained quiet and Weiss was...a Schnee about it.

 _'If we don't go, we'll never hear the end of it from them, and we have another four years here.'_

 _'Fine.'_ He internally groaned as the words left his mouth.

"Fine, I'll come with you." He said reluctantly and walked towards them all. He recieved a second hug from Ruby as well as one from Yang when he got to them, he recieved a nod of appreciation from Weiss and Ren, Nora was happy and singing so probably preoccupied. Blake offered him a warm smile as did Jaune. Pyrrha surprisingly pulled him in for a hug as well. She squeezed him tighter than Yang and Ruby did, being sincere and meaning it.

"Pyrrha, why are you hugging me? The sister thing I can see, but you? I'd like to know why." He asked her, wanting to know why she was so grateful. _'She has no connections to these girls, does she?'_ He asked himself mentally, she smiled and spoke in a hushed tone so that only he could hear her, Blake could as well even though she was with the group in front of them both.

"I haven't seen anyone perish to these creatures, not in real life anyway. It would be something that would change us all, seeing that happen I...I'd have become a different person and Yang would have been broken if you hadn't shown up for her, thank you."

"Miss Nikos, If you don't mind me asking, is that why you have looked so nervous previously? Back at Beacon anyway, you have the correct training and limits for this and you had no reason to be nervous...was that your reason?" He asked her, her initial reaction was shock that he had picked up on her nerves. After a few seconds, she nodded her head, yes in response before letting a smile appear on her lips again. The pieces all fell into place for Adam now as she nodded for him.

"Haven't I told you, Pyrrha is fine. Miss Nikos is what news reporters call me and-"

"That is the only time I have seen you before. I'm comfortable with it."

"...I guess it's alright then." She said, happy tone remaining. He noticed her hair had fallen over her right eye, he drew his sword out and brushed it away with the tip, before sheathing it again, she didn't even flinch at his action.

"You cannot afford to be blinded for the fights ahead, remain vigilant Nikos." He told her with a small smirk, he turned and followed the group, leaving her behind him. He caught up with the group and heard her feet hitting the ground behind him, catching up rather quickly and walking past him, beside Blake.

 _'I believe we're fitting in well, we have a good impression with the group and they're not vicious towards us.'_ His eyes trailed over to Weiss, she was being pestered by Jaune and looked fed up with it. _'They're not all vicous anyway, the Schnee will warm up with me or be outcast by the others, social rules are such demanding things.'_ He thought with a smirk.

The group all left the clearing and proceeded into another heavy woodland area. Adam was sick of the sight, all these tree's and peaceful environments. He had his fill of serenity, he wanted chaos back, his anarchy. He sighed,, but almost immediately being perked up by the groups leader, Ruby, as she was shouting at them.

"Hey! There it is!" She pointed over a large log in her way, and there it was. The small temple again.

"Be quick, the fight from before would have alerted other creatures of our prescence." Ren told the group, still in his wellspoken manner.

"He's right, we don't _need_ to fight more. If we hurry we can avoid the hordes of grimm likely converging on our position." Blake backed up, Jaune looking a bit grateful at that.

"Great, run and live. I'm down for that." He said, still a small bit panty after their fight from before.

The group all ran over to the temple and grabbed some pieces each. Yang going for the 'Pretty Pony' and Nora declaring herself 'Queen of the castle'. Adam sighed and began to scan the woodland behind them, something seemed off about it. He spotted a pile of snapped twigs a small bit out, and a puff of leaves as if something had...

 _'They're here.'_ He thought, immediately going into a combat stance, grabbing his sword. He shot a look at the group, they had no idea but Blake looked out at the woods as well, aware of something.

"Guys, they're he-" Adam was cut off as a Beowolf leaped through the treeline and slashed at him, catching him off guard it managed to land a huge slash across his right arm. He grunted loudly in pain and dropped his blade, it tried again for his throat but he managed to avoid it and sweep its feet out from under it.

He tried to move his right arm but it refused to, he's lost all connection to it for now. He gave it a quick look, seeing his bicep tissue and actual bone from the slash. He reached down with his free arm and grabbed the sword out of its sheathe. He felt intense pain and intense anger at his predicament.

When he looked down at the beast, it had moved out and made towards Jaune at the back of their circle, he had a bad grip on his sword and was shaking.

 _'This is not good.'_ Adam thought, quickly remembering he had Blush on the ground next to him. He dropped Wilt and reached on the ground for Blush, finding it and quickly pulling it up, firing at the Beowolfs back.

"You! I'm not finished with you." Adam shouted at the beast as it spun around to face him, he dropped the rifle to the ground and picked the blade up. He was ready this time. He held Wilt out and aimed it at himself, gesturing the beast to attack him. It let out a howl and ran at him.

Adam crouched down, keeping his centre mass close to the ground and right arm close to his body. He held his blade up and swung at the creatures legs, it jumped and managed a slash on his back, ripping through his thin clothing. He stood straight again, struggling to stand at all. Blake caught him off guard when she screamed over to him.

"Adam!" He tried to ignore her, but was drawn off for a second too long as the Beowolf managed a strike at him, just barely missing as he sidestepped it and cut its massive paw off. It howled in pain, he rushed it this time and managed a stab in at its ribs and pulled the blade of Wilt out the side of the creature and sliced it through with another strike. Cleaving it in two.

He turned to see their group doing a good deal better than he had, their opponents all laying dead around them and they all began to regain their breath. Jaune and Nora had a few scratches on them, Weiss had a slash on her face and Pyrrha had a huge red mark on her chest.

 _'I believe we may need som-'_ His thoughts were cut off by a coughing fit from Adam, he collapsed on to one knee and dropped his sword, falling back on to the ground. His back was bleeding, he felt it pooling around him and his arm was almost entirely deadened.

 _'We're not this weak, GET UP!'_ He shouted internally, trying ot will himself up but failing. He began to have dark cricles around his vision, slowly closing in. He was slipping into unconsciousness. He couldn't move, and had barely any energy left ot breathe from the blood loss, he was a mess.

He couldn't hear Blake shouting his name, she was standing above him but he couldn't hear a word she was saying. The last thing he tried was forcing his aura into his back, all of it. Everyt part of his aura's essence had been forced to his back in an attempt to heal the tissue. He felt something prodding his sliced arm.

"That hurts." He spoke out, his deep voice coming out as raspy and dry. He began to regret forcing his aura to his back, feeling tired at the loss of blood and now the lack of full-body aura, but it was necessary. He felt his inner tissue begin to reform together, as soon as it was all done he immediately spread his aura back throughout his entire body, only a small bit on his arm as a painkiller. He could still feel the huge, gaping slash on his back, the bleeding was half what it was before, but still profuse.

"I need...I need help." He managed out, regretting it immediately as he sounded weak, but it was needed for his survival. On the bright side, his mind was off of thinking about his back entirely now, and he could hear some of the words they were all saying.

"Is he going to make it?" Weiss asked, Blake franticly nodded yes. Pyrrha was applying pressure on his arm and Jaune was off at the side being sick, Nora was patting him on the back, assuring him it was 'All fine.'

"Schnee, I refuse to die in a wooded forest at a schools initiation." He replied, able to communicate effectively again without it being a challenge.

"You're bleeding a lot, y'know?" Yang said from the side, Ruby was staring at the tree's, trying to avoid looking at his arm. He was fed up of this, he sat upright now and rubbed the side of his head, regaining his senses.

"Thank you Yang, I'm aware." He replied tiredly, he didn't like how many hands were on him right now, currently four.

"I'm fine, we can still make it back if you walk there. I'll catch up." He told them, Blake shot him a look that told him to stop talking, he obliged for the purpose of saving his breathing energy. He could hear how heavy it was, it felt unhealthy for him. He could feel some strange feeling in his arm, not pain but something strong. It was like someone rubbing tar on him, but it was a good kind. He stared at Pyrrha, she was focusing on his wound and her hands kept pulsing a few times.

 _'What is this? Is she trying to act the medic of our group?'_ He thought, he didn't like it though. He placed his free hand on her wrists and pushed them off gently, he had no energy to do anything with real strength.

"I am fine, go on to Beacon. I'll meet you there." He told them, Blake again not liking what he was saying, but didn't like what was said after it.

"He's right, he's a strong fighter and we can't risk any more grimm appearing. If we get there, we can send help." Weiss told the group coldly, but recieved hateful looks from Blake, no look from Pyrrha and more shocked looks from the rest of them, aside from the vomiting Jaune and ever-happy Nora.

"See, she ag-" Adam tried, Blake instantly cutting him off.

"I'm not leaving you Adam, you can't fight like this." Blake said, determined tone as she looked around for something to hold his arm in a sling.

"We could go in two groups, someone stay with Adam and help him to Beacon when he can walk. The rest can go to Beacon and alert Ozpin of what's happened." Ren suggested, Blake arguing it almost instantly.

"And why does he get one person? Why can't we all stay with him then move as a single unit?"

"Because, the group would make more noise and any nearby grimm would go for them, not the duo. The duo would make sufficiently less noise, providing it isn't Nora with him. The group can clear a way for them, and they can move quietly when he is capable of walking for a good distance." Ren explained, Blake considering it.

"Blake, he's right. Go." Adam said after a few minutes of silence and consideration.

"I'm staying with him, you all go and clear the way and we'll catch up when we can." Blake insisted, Adam sighed.

"Blake, look at me." She looked at him and he scratched the top of his head, poking two fingers up so she got it. She had a lightbulb going off in her head when she agreed. The group needed faunus hearing if they had a chance against another pack of Beowolves. She sighed and accepted.

"Alright, I get it. Who wants to stay with him?" Blake asked the group, Ren and Pyrrha perked up at this.

"I'll stay." Pyrrha replied immediately, just beating Ren to it as he sat there with his mouth slightly open.

"Then it's settled. Ruby, Yang, Blake, Nora, Jaune, Ren and myself will all go and clear a way if necessary and will tell Ozpin when we get to Beacon." Weiss stated, Heading into the treeline in front of them, everyone went with her...albeit reluctantly, Ruby patting Adam on the shoulder before she left and Yang showing a small look of concern. Blake was the last of them to leave.

"You better be there by nightfall or so help me, if you're not dead then you'll wish you were." She said with a small laugh, he laughed with her and nodded in confirmation. She disappeared into the woods, leaving Adam and Pyrrha alone. It was silent, she was prodding around his arm and assessing his back for a good ten minutes before he spoke up.

"Why did you offer to stay?"

"What? Why wouldn't I?"

"Not many humans willingly help a faunus, and even stranger is when I asked you all to go, you insisted on staying, why?"

"You're a good person, you helped Ruby and saved her life, likely saved Yang from experiencing lifelong sadness without her and saved us all from being traumatised at the sight of her dying." She took a breath after saying all that.

"Isn't that what hunters are supposed to do?" He asked curiously, she crawled in front of him fully and sat cross legged there.

"Yes, but you held her like a sister when you could have just have thrown her." Adam considered that, he did hold her close but for...specific reasons.

"True, but I am not a nice person Miss Nikos."

"I argue that."

"You have only known me for a day, give or take. I have done things I am not proud of."

"Everybody does things they're not proud of, it is a part of life and learning." He wanted to warn her about him, how he was. What he's done. Who he did it to.

"That is also true." He said nodding, thinking about what she had said.

 _'Why is she so intent on finding the good in me? If she knew half of what I have done, she would turn me into the police or kill me herself.'_ He looked at her directly, through his slits he took in her face and her warm smile, her eyes. _'Those emerald eyes are...nice on her.'_ He thought, trying to change his ways of thinking immediately, he looked away and at the tree's.

 _'Emerald green.'_ He groaned internally, looking at the forest floor, covered in leaves.

 _'Emerald green. Why is everything now green?!'_ He began to get flustered, he began to breathe heavily again and felt his palms go sweaty. Pyrrha looked over when she heard his breathing go erratic.

"Are you alright?" She asked, getting up and standing behind him, assessing his back again.

"Yes, I'm fine." He lied, he was sore but that would pass.

"Are you sure?" She pressed, his breathing didn't slow down or go any lighter. He only got more flustered at her persistance.

"I know I am fine Miss Nikos, please let's just go." He was almost begging her at this point, he wanted to be alone and have his wounds seen to.

"Alright, here-" She took his injured arm over her shoulder and helped him to his feet. He got up and felt lighter...like something wasn't right here. He was all there, he had his mask, what was missing?

"My weapons, I need them." He pulled his arm from her shoulder and staggered over to them, barely able to stand. He lowered to one knee and picked them up, feeling a wave of dizziness come over him he fell to the ground.

"Fuck." He hissed quietly as his back hit the ground, Pyrrha stood next to him, her spear and shield in one hand and her other outstretched. She still had her smile, his anger at the wounds on his back just washed away. He didn't understand this, what was happening?

"Thank you." He took her arm in his hand and pulled himself up with his good arm, holding Wilt and Blush with his pained arm, he had just began to get feeling back in it when he heard it.

"Are y-" He clamped his left hand over her mouth, sudden adrenaline keeping him standing.

"Shhh, there's another one." He whispered, directly into her ear that his lips brushed it. She understood and kept quiet, scanning the woods. He kept his ears on alert and was ready to react.

There was an uncomfortable few minutes of silence, no movement from either Pyrrha or Adam. He kept hearing a faint rustling in the bushes, but couldn't identify what grimm it belonged to.

Suddenly, the rustling began to get louder and more violent sounding. Then, it burst through the bushes, a Boarbatusk alpha appeared at the treeline, where Blake and the others had headed.

Adam stood fully upright, ignoring the strain of his back, he felt his hand tighten around Wilt and Blush, Pyrrha stood in front of him with her shield and spear in hand.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"You are not in fighting condition Adam, I am."

"But I ca-" He tried, annoyed at not being able to fight well.

"You can stay there. It's only one small grimm, nothing major." She reassured, he hoped she was right about that because she was certainly right about him not being able to fight right now. The beast rolled into a ball and charged at them, its hard plated armour not leaving any openings for a ranged attack.

Pyrrha gently shoved him aside and rolled the opposite way, the beast flying past them and colliding with a tree behind them. Pyrrha immediately shifted her spear into its rifle form and fired at the creatures legs, hoping to immobilise it. She hit it, but the armour protected it enough that it only became irritated at her gunshots.

Adam held one arm against the tree he was shoved against, steadying himself and lowered himself down to the ground again, feeling nauseous. His head began to spin, some dirt must have gotten into his wounds. He tried to focus on something, concentration could sometimes combat the feeling. He chose Pyrrha, she'd be moving a lot and has bright colours so she'd be easy to focus on.

She ran at it, knowing it couldn't charge again for a small bit yet. It thrusted its head at her, hoping to catch her with its tusks. It missed its strike and hit nothing but air, she flew over it and threw her shield off a nearby boulder. Adam was confused, he looked for her shield but saw only a bronze blurr as it ricocheted off the rock and flew under the Boarbatusk, flipping it on it's back.

Pyrrha landed and ran her spear through its belly, killing it quickly. Adam was shocked, she went through the beast so fast, and with such elegance. Not one mistake or trip-up. She fought perfectly. _'Fantastic, she has been trained well. Better than well actually, almost flawlessly._ He thought to himself, looking her up and down, checking for injuries. He could feel beads of sweat run down his forehead, he was breaking out in a fever.

 _'Ahhh shit.'_ He thought, almost too casually for his situation. He tried to push up off the ground using the tree behind him, but fell back down and scraped his back off the bark.

"Aghh!" He let out, louder than the usual him. She looked over at him worriedly and ran towards him after getting her shield back. She pulled him off the ground after holstering her spear on her back and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Come on, we're going back now." She told him, he silently agreed and kept his grip on Wilt and Blush tight. She led himm through the woods quickly, they continued to walk for an hour and a half, in complete silence. She was taking in her surroundings, stopping every now and again to get her bearings.

Adam however, he was focused on her hair that was in his face right now. _'It's so red, such a perfect colour. She hasn't shed any blood, not one drop so far and here we are, almost killed by a single FUCKING BEOWOLF!'_ He mentally berated himself, tightening his grip on her as his thoughts got more intense. She cast a small gaze at him, worriedly again.

"There is nothing there, we're fine." He told her, she was looking at a small gathering of tree's ahead of them.

"You're certain?"

"I can hear very well Miss Nikos, that hasn't been affected. There is nothing there." He reassured her, she quickened as they walked through the clearing, gathering speed into a small jog.

"Please slow down." He asked softly into her ear, unale to keep up. He felt almost lifeless, his blood loss was dangerously high.

"Oh, sorry." She responded just as soft, slowing back into a walk. He shook his head as dizziness came over him again, he needed to get there fast but couldn't move as fast as he needed to.

"Do you know how far we are out?" He asked, getting desperate now.

"I can see Beacon." She said excitedly, getting a small spring in her step now, he looked up lazily above the treeline and saw the spire of Beacons tower.

"I guess I won't die here then, good." He told her, trying to make conversation. _'We're very bad at this.'_ He told himself with a small smirk.

"Of course you won't!" She shouted, almost involuntarily loud. He winced at her volume, she blushed and sputtered an apology out.

"Oh, I'm so-sorry Adam, you-are you alright?" He nodded yes into her shoulder, feeling his legs getting tired now. His aura had managed to get him this far, but it was giving out as well, his legs began to trip and slow down. His grip on her loosened a small bit and he began to slide off of her shoulder, she wrapped her free arm around his arm and pulled him back up, going considerably faster now.

"We're almost there, another minute and we'll be at Beacon, okay?" She spoke, her tone making it obvious she was trying to make him feel better about his and pull through.

"Heh, whatever you say." His head fell limp, he was conscious but on the brink of falling out of reality.

She came to a huge set of concrete steps with marble statues on each side, she began to take them three at a time, trying to get him there as fast as she could.

His legs kept hitting the edge of the steps, but he couldn't say anything, he was almost out cold. She came to the top and spotted Ozpin there, with a stretcher next to him and two paramedics.

She laid Adam out on the stretcher when they rushed it over to her and they wheeled him away on it, towards the medical building to her left. She began to get her breath back as Ozpin approached her and placed his non-coffee holding hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Nikos, you have performed exceptionally. You will have the rest of the day off, do not worry. Your friend, he should be fine unless there are complications. Go and meet with the rest of your team." Her head perked up at this, when were the teams assigned?

"Sir? I was unaware that the teams have been chosen already."

"Oh, I see. When your friends arrived and explained what had kept you and Mr Taurus, I felt it only right to assign you to a team, and if you perished out there then your spot would be filled." He came off unusually uncaring about her possible death.

"Oh...I see, who am I teamed with?" She asked hopeful, hoping it was with at least one of her friends.

"You are on a team with Jaune Arc, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. You all make up Team JNPR, or Juniper." He informed her, then handed her a small phone-like device. She took it in her hand and opened it, seeing a list of contacts.

"Your friends have been added, as you were late here. You are in room 301. Your team are already there getting unpacked and settled in." She took it all in and accepted it, she was happy she had the others on her team.

"What team is Adam on? I'll tell him when he wakes up." Ozpin smiled as he replied.

"He's with Team CRDL, or Cardinal. On that team is Cardin Winchester, Skye Lark, Dove Bronzewing and Russel Thrush." Pyrrha thought she had recognised one of those names, but when Ozpin handed her his scroll and she opened it to check his contacts, it just confirmed it.

"Oh, sir I'm afraid there's been a mistake. Adam and Cardin have already met." She told the Proffessor, he 'hmm'd questionningly.

"And that's a mistake?"

"It wasn't a friendly encounter, Cardin made reference to Adams faunus heritage and not in a good way." She told him, trying to word it un-biased but having trouble.

"I see, in your proffessional opinion here Miss Nikos-" She was only used to one person calling her that, and he wasn't here.

"Do you think they can coincide?" Ozpin finished, she immediately shook her head, no.

"I see. I will have to make some alterations then, until I have them decided he will instead be staying with you and your team." Ozpin said, she was about to reply when he cut her off.

"Now, if you'll excuse me I have some work to do, farewell Miss Nikos." He turned and headed away from her, she hadn't a clue where to go before he shouted back to her.

"And Miss Nikos?" She looked over to him, he smirked as he continued.

"I believe hospital visiting times don't finish for another two hours, if you'd wish to check on your friend." And he continued walking away after seeing her face light up a small bit. She looked towards the dorm block, and then towards the hospital.

 _'I think it'd be better to check on Adam, the others can get by without me for another while.'_ She told herself mentally before heading for the hospital.

 **IN THE HOSPITAL:**

"I'm here to see Adam Taurus, he was admitted around fifteen-twenty minutes ago?" Pyrrha asked the receptionist. The blonde receptionist checked her computer and scanned the screen.

"Ah, Mr Taurus is in Room 3, just to the end of the hallway and to the left." Her accent sounded western or country like, but Pyrrha didn't focus on that and just nodded her thanks to her and proceed down the hall, to Room 3.

Pyrrha peered through the doors small window, seeing him laying on the bed with his shirt and jacket on the chair next to his bed. His shoes and trousers still looked to be on, so no hospital robe. She opened the door and walked in, it was an entirely empty room aside from Adam and her now.

She slowly approached the bed, his mask was also still on. It should have been removed if the doctors needed to check him, but she wasn't overly concerned with that. She sat in the chair next to his bed, sitting his jacket and shirt on the foot of his bed.

He must have been put out for the doctors to stitch his wounds. She placed a hand on his as he lay there, still grateful for what he did for Ruby. She remained like that, looking over his body as his chest slowly rose and lowered, his breathing was healthy. She couldn't help but notice that he was extremely well built. He had his six pack, and his strong chest that looked well maintained, however it was littered with scars and small circular wounds. She looked over his arms, seeing his muscles were just as impressive there, she saw his bloodied stitches and looked elsewhere in the room. Just bland white walls. She must have been like that for a good thirty minutes before she was snapped out of a day-dream by a familiar deep voice.

"Hello Miss Nikos." Adam said tiredly, she stared at his masks slits and smiled.

"Hey, are you feeling better?" She asked warmly, forgetting her hand was still on his.

"I am, thank you. What were you looking at on the wall for thirty minutes?" He asked, looking at the wall himself. She was about to respond before she stopped herself. _'How does he know it's been thirty minutes? And what I've been doing?'_ She asked, getting a small smile on her lips.

"What have you been looking at for thirty minutes? If you knew what I've been doing all that time you must have been watching." She said playfully.

"I don't un-understand." He sputtered a small bit in the middle, revealing to her _exactly_ what he had been doing, but she wanted to hear him _say_ it.

"I think you do, come on, I'm waiting..." She said, noticing his smile appear now.

"You want to play this? You're the one that has been holding my hand for thirty minutes." As soon as he mentioned her holding his hand she had let go and blushed madly.

"I don-I mean I never saw you objecting..." She said, trying to force her blush away. His smile faltered a bit as he heard this, she regained her smile.

"Because It kept me warm, I'm rather cold here." He said, gesturing to his topless upper half, she glanced at it again and took a mental picture.

"It's actually warm in here, are you sure that it's because you're cold?" She asked, she was enjoying seeing him think so intently and panickedly at the same time. Their time was interrupted however as a nurse came through the doors with a clipboard and looked at Adam.

"Mr Taurus, your surgery is ready." Adam looked skeptical at this. _'What surgery?'_ He thought to himself.

"The doctor told me I'd only need to remain overnight, to check for any signs of side effects of the painkillers." He told her, she double checked her clipboard.

"Mr Taurus, when you came in we had to take samples of your blood, to check for infections or diseases-" Adam nodded along with her on this, however what she said next shocked Pyrrha and Adam equally.

"But instead of disease or infection, we have found traces of Deathstalker venom in your bloodstream. You're to go for a surgery and be examined." Pyrrha looked at Adam, noticing the slits on his mask had a sinister red glow emitting form them, however it was very faint. She kept chose to keep quiet about it.

"Nurse, I was told I have only to remain here under surveillance for side effects, not surgery for that. Go and ask Doctor Gregory, he checked me over and administered them." The nurse 'hmm'd and left the room, Adams slits in his mask had died down and returned to their black colour.

"Adam...what did she mean by that?"

"Nothing, ignore it. It's a lasting condition."

"Adam, that stuff is one of the strongest discovered poisons on Remnant, if you have it in your blood you ne-"

"I said ignore it." He forced, silencing her. He ripped the small patches connected to him and the machines off and swung his legs out of bed. He grabbed his shirt and coat and quickly got dressed.

"Pyrrha, do you know which dorm I am in? Or who I am teamed with?" He asked rapidly, Pyrrha was a small bit stunned, he had that stuff inside of him and refused professional help.

"Umm...301..." She responded half-mindedly, having an idea.

She stood up and headed for the door, closing it and standing in front of it. He heard the door lock and looked over ot her, seeing what she was trying.

"Pyrrha, do not do this. I am leaving."

"You still have to stay to be seen for your side effects, even if you won't take the surgery."

"I was told they are very unlikely, and if I have them then they won't be severe, just minor vomiting or headaches. Now please move." He came up to her, she stared up at him when he got close.

"No, you're my friend and I'm not allowing you to risk yourself like this." Adam sighed and relaxed his shoulders. _'She is persistent.'_ He thought to himself, he decided to try another strategy.

"I'll make you a deal, if I vomit or complain about headaches then I'll willingly come back here myself, if you were a friend you wouldn't lock me in a room I'm not comfortable in." He told her, showing no emotion in his tone but sounding desperate.

"Adam I want you be safe, I'll stay if you don't like hos-" He cut her off by locking a death grip on her shoulders, his ominous red glow coming back.

"Pyrrha-!" He shouted, immediately lowring his voice to its regualr volume. "Don't _force_ me to hurt you...please move." He whispered the last part, he didn't think she had heard it. He was wrong.

"Okay...alright, come on." She whispered back and opened the door. The nurse from before came back with her clipboard and spotted Adam with Pyrrha, he reacted quickly and brought his hand up to the side of her head in a swift punch.

"You're not suppos-" She fell to the ground when Adam struck her to the side of the head. Adam dragged her unconscious body into his room and closed the door behind him when he left, locking it with her key.

"Adam, what are you-" Pyrrha tried, but he stopped her in her tracks and stared at her.

"I'm not supposed to be out of that room. And I'm especially not supposed to be in a public hospital with records. Come on." He spoke calmly but obviously desperate. Adam grabbed her wrist and began to walk quickly out of the corridor, leading her through reception with his head down. He walked out the hospitals main doors and made a right turn, heading for the dorms. He kept his grip on her wrist tight and kept his strong pace up, almost breaking into a sprint, she tried to pry her hand from his grip but he was intent on keeping her there.

They came into the dorm bulding a few minutes later and flung the main door open. Adam went for the stairwell, throwing its door open as well and began to run up the stairs with her, he took them three at a time.

In under a minute they were on the third floor and walking calmly through the dorms block, he examined each door, looking for his room number. He came to 301 and threw the door open, the curtains were closed as the sun had began to set and the team inside was ready for bed.

Everyone inside was dressed in their sleeping clothes aside from Adam and Pyrrha. Ren immediately threw his gaze at the door from his bed in the corner of the room, sighing from being woken up. He noticed who it was and sat up, Nora was next to him and woke up as well, staring in their direction. Jaune was in the middle of the room in his bed with his scroll out when they came through the doors.

"Good evening everyone, sorry we're late." Adam apologised and let go of Pyrrha's hand. She walked over to the free bed, trying to process eveything she had heard today. She was rubbing her hand and sat on the edge of it, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Where am I to sl-" Adam began, but was cut off by Nora.

"Heya Adam! How was the hsopital? Did they experiment on you? *Gasp* They totally did! I knew it! Ren, get the hammer!" She shouted all in Rens ear in under a second, Ren sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"It's good you made it through your injuries, we were worried." He said, Adam nodded in thanks for his concern. _'I don't know why, you don't know me.'_ He thought to himself, but just accepted it as he had more important things on his mind.

"Pyrrha, where are my weapons?" He asked, changing the subject. She didn't respond.

"Pyrrha?" He tried again, she just remained fixed on the wall beside her bed. She looked lost in thought.

He walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder gently, shaking her a small bit.

"Pyrrha." He forced out, louder than his usual tone. She looked at him and blinked a few times, as if coming back to reality.

"Ozpin had them sent to the lockers, when you were sent to the hospital." Adam nodded again, he needed to find those lockers. _'The hospital probably have me on their files now, I can't stay here for long.'_

"Thank you, now if you'll excuse me, I should go and tell Blake I'm alright." He quickly made for the door, Ren shouted across the room before he left.

"They're in the room across the hall." Adam heard Ren shout, nodding in acceptance and swung the door open, scanning the hallway a few times before crossing the hall. He closed his teams door and sped across to theirs, Room 300.

He walked across the hall and knocked on the door, getting a 'What?' Shout from Yang in response, he sighed before speaking.

"I need to speak with Blake." He said solemly, as soon as Yang heard his voice she flung the door open with a booming smile and in her regular sleeping clothes.

"Sure, wait here and I'll go get get her." She said, he nodded and looked down the hall again, feeling nerves begin to swim around inside him.

"Hey Adam, it's good to see you're alright." He heard Blake say when she got to the door, he pulled her into the hallway and slammed RWBY's door shut. He held Blake against the wall and sighed, a loud and exasperated sigh.

"Blake, the hospital they...they have my records, they'll know who I am by morning." He told her, every word he said he saw her eyes widen gradually. She began to scan franticly, his face and the wall behind him.

"There must be something we can do, there has to be." She said, hopeful but panicked. He smiled, feeling a bit of sympathy for her as he spoke again.

"I have to leave, if I disappear they'll erase me from their system and they won't find out about you."

"You don't have to, we can talk with Ozpin and maybe he can-"

"He can do NOTHING!" Adam shouted, tightening his grip on her shoulders and feeling his eyes begin to glow again. "No-one on this planet can change what _I_ have done, change _my_ history. NO-ONE. I want you to have a bright future here, live with the humans in your view of being an equal with them and that can't happen with me here...not now that they know."

"I'm not letting you leave-"

"Like you were going to before?" Adam asked accusingly. Blake was taken back by this, she hadn't expected that to come up.

"Yes, you didn't leave me alone so I'm not letting you go alone, I'll come with you."

"You're happy here, you know you won't be back...at the...Fang." He slowly eased the last part out, knowing her thoughts on the matter.

"What!?" She screamed out, Team RWBY's door opening as soon as she screamed, JNPR's doing the same.

"No, you're not going back to them. NO!" She tried to break away from his grip he held her there.

"They know me. They'll understand why I did it, I have an allaby. You don't."

"They'll kill you!" She shouted again, Adam winced at her volume. He smirked as he let her shoulders go, she remained there and stared at him intently.

"They'll try." Before Blake coould argue his cockiness, Yang spoke up for both teams behind them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa...Who's they?"

"The-" As soon as Adam heard Blake open her mouth, he clamped a hand over her mouth. He silently wished she'd understand.

"C'mon, they can't be that bad that they'd go to kill a _hunter_." Yang said skeptically, Adam cast a glance over them all. Ruby looked a small bit worried, Weiss was calculating something about them both and Yang was trying to maintain her skepticism.

He looked over at Pyrrha's team. Jaune was similar to Ruby, hearing the word 'kill' and losing colour a small bit. Ren was similar to Weiss and trying to think the whole thing out, Nora was still inside the room asleep. Pyrrha was only focused on them both, not looking anywhere else.

"They would, now I'm asking you-" Adam let his hand go from Blake's mouth and she sighed outwardly, he pointed at RWY, and over to JNPR. "To look out for each other...No matter what happens, or what comes to light. Understand?" He looked over them all, they all nodded and he looked at Blake's bow.

 _'They'll find out, Blake. And when they do, you'll have a tough choice to make.'_ He thought to himself, almost sad at what would happen with her and her friends.

"Good." He released Blake fully and stood upright, he headed towards the end ofthe corridor and left them all standing there, talking about whatever it was they were talking about. Adam left the building after reaching the bottom of the stairs and scanning to make sure there wasn't anyone after him already. Adam proceeded towards the fighting building, where the smaller tournaments within the school were held and opened the doors, he was going through the back so had to break the lock.

When he walked in, he saw he was already in the locker room, he liked how convenient that was for him. He walked across to the opposite end of the room, finding his locker marked 'TAURUS' and swung it open after using his thumb ID, he didn't have his passcode so had to use the secondary method of getting into it. He grabbed Wilt and Blush and made for the door.

After a good few minutes of walking and contemplation of returning, he stood at the Bullhead bay, ready to steal one of them for his trip back to Vale. He gave the school one final glance and sighed, Cinder wasn't going to be happy with this but he knew she needed him, for now. He got on the Bullhead and spotted the keys on the seat, he chuckled softly at the incompetance of Beacon's pilots.

He got the Bullhead started up, it's engines roaring to life and flew towards Vale, only thing on his mind as he went on his way. The only thing he's had on the back of his mind since he got to Beacon with his traitorous partner.

The plan.


End file.
